Radiator corner construction



July 26, 1932. A. F. IHDE RADIATOR CORNER CONSTRUCTION Filed March 15, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Mardh 15, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ug si F. 1m

AuGUs'n 1 Elana- Bunnie; New Iron-x, Assnmoa fro;- msmslmem'mtam 5 j 'rh 'sg nvelaioa amass o 'mdiato'rand 'metho'd of "making"the same, and it has partlcula'r reference; to" the manufacture of an iautomobil'e r'adiator inwhibh-fdistributing 5 reservoirs or" shells. are built Fin with 1 the honeycomb 3 portions of the "care for pro- ,viding an eflicient a, reliable means for in tercomuiii'ni'catioh between the upper and lower 'watri tanks through certain of the Water passages j formed infthe body of the 'radiatorcorel-l ;-""j Inthe' usual type of automobile construction, motive" poweriisjprovided' a; water cooled interns-1i combustion engine; to which cooling water is su'pi'alied through a radiator inounted in front of "the meme "T eseudiators include upperandlo'wer tanks which communicate with each 'oth'er through a plurality of water passages around which air may circulate to cool the water contained in the passages. While other typesof radiators are' kno'wn,'--'and whileradiators of this eneral description may bejutilized e'lsewh'er'e than infautomobiles the principles of the 'present invention'ni'ay be described with" reference to suchtypicalconstruction.

In making up radiators'of thistype,-it has heretofore been proposed to assemble a square or rectangle of a plurality'of rows of metal ribbon, engage them in a frame, and subsequently seal the outer or marginal portions with solder, in order to form a honeycomb or core portion. The upper and lower water tanks have subsequently been soldered to the top and bottom sides of such core. Such method of assembly has been found useful so long as the upper and loweredges or surfaces of the honeycomb core are substantially plane, or the honeycomb itself'is'substantially rectilinear in shape.

For reasons not herenecessary to enumerate. however, the plane'top and bottom type of radiator'has been found unsuitable in certain automobile constructions, in which it is desired to form the core with beveled corners. Such cutting away of the corners manner as to fit the irregular shape of the core; [With these given conditions,- it has b'en'i necessary to "seal off the/openings of the exposed water passages :of the cut-away portions, 's'older, in' )rd'er to makea fwater tight {core assembly, and heiiee' "these j'passages', 'dueto'sold'er running across-them,

are rendered aeaa -or inoperative for water conducting" and cooling purposes;"At other times dui'ingthe soldering operations, solder may run acrosspassage openings intended to be left live and'iii communication with the water tanks, With'a' concomitant loss of efliciency'in the radiator. These defects have naturally resulted in waste in" manufacture, and unreliability iri the radiation capacity of iaiunitofany givenfsize'f H w The present invention "contemplates" the provision of whereby 'a radiator with beveledjcorners or with an irregular "outline m y e ead ear-leer rose bf theta 0f the Water, pas tigejopenifig "{iiito the beveled 'iOr ear-away portionspf the honeycomb structin-8.1; 'As 'heieihaaer'nerfaruny'ex aaina, the principles or ithe"invention."may be sueeessfuu pat na pr'a'cticeby forming se a rate shells or 's'mall'fcommun'icating tanks, communicating with both'the adjacent water -passages and, the .main tank, Ieith'er top, or

bottom'for both.In'such'construction, it is :unnecessary to seal off any of the passages, and hence their radiation capacity 15 retained, theoverall" efficiency of the radiator maintained, and the total capacity readily predetermined. I 1 f In making the radiator,thefho'neycomb portion is laid; up with the communicating pockets, so that theupper and lower tanks vmay subsequently be attached in a simple ;manner, and the workinspeeted for defects read in connection withnthe accompanying drawings, wherein; a

Fig.1 is=aview in 'perspecti've of an auto mobile radiator-in which theprinciples of the invention are embodied;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary viewfon an enlargedscale of a corner portion of the: radia- .thecore. I

Positionedat either side of the assembled 1 Fig. '6'is'a fragmentary longitudinal crosssectional view taken adjacent the corner por tion of the radiator.

As shown in Fig. 1, the radiator comprises 5 a core portion including, an open textured or honeycomb structureof metal I1"and cor-" ner portions 12 into which shell members may be inserted and assembled, Mounted above the core. is a top water tank. 13, while below .the core is positioned a bottom water tank-l4,

the construction being such that water from the tank 13 may flow downwardly to the tank 14 through ducts or water passages formed in the core. The water tanks are formed with open walls along the surfaces contacting with core and tanks are. frame mem bers 16 .which are secured to the core unit and whichare also formed. with apertured lugs 17 permit- :ting the assembly of the radiator with theradiator shell. In use, pipe connections (not shown) connect on the upper and lower tanks 13 and 14 to the water'casings of: the internal .combustionengine, and .a. cyclic.flow is effected through .the engine and, the I tanks by .means of the water passages -extending I through thecore 10'. Asthe water, heated from e engine, as es'nqn; one "tank tothe other,;it is, subjected to the. cooling influence of air which is sucked through the honeycomb passages of the radiator.

The construction of the' honeycomb may be best understood by reference to Fig. 2, wherein it will be noted that the heavylines,

20 and 21, designate strips or ribbons of thin sheet metal, which are turned first to the right andthen to the left, formin zig-zag or tortuous passageways. throng which water may flow. These ribbons are turned horizontally at their ends to overlap, and may be interlocked and mutually secured by soldering, to form a substantially plane orcontinuou's and regular top surface. Intermediate the ribbons 20 and 21 are another pair of ribbons 23 and 24, similarly corrugated and also made of thin sheet metal, and joined together along their mating portions, as indicated bythe numeral 25. In practice, the ribbons 23 and 24 are deformed and cut through to provide a large radiating or cooling surface, but the specific deformation of the ribbons need not here be described, as it is not in itself the subject matter of the present invention.

It maybe considered that a plurality of ribbons 20 and 21 are formed by passing the strips of metal through a bending or corrugating machine, are joined at their ends 22, and have inserted therebetween a mesh formed of a pair of ribbons 23 and 24. This much of the core may be re arded as a unit or l ayer,. which is assemble with other like units to form the complete assembly. When a pair of units or layers are disposed along side of each "other, (as, for 'eXample, a la yer including the ribbon-21 and a layer including alike ribbon 26) passageways 27 are formed, through--"which*the cooling water may flow.

, The space between the adjacent ribbons is provided by deforming the ribbons, as shown inFig. .4, from which it will be observed that the centrahportion ofeach ribbon 21 and 26 is depressed 'below the marginal portions 28 and 29 of the ribbon s. With this construc- .tion,-the deformed ribbons 21 and 26.contact only along their marginal-portions, and are spaced between the margins to rovide ;,for

zthe water. passage. ,The innerrib ons 23 and .24 are not, however, so formed but are oined along inter-mediate contacting portions- 25,

so that, when a plurality of layers are assembled, water may flow between certain pairs of r bbons, wh le air may flow around theribbolls therebetween. With. this. construction,

.there. is provideda number of water passages I and cooling areas in association therewith in' order toeflechtheg oooling of water flowing through the radiator. i i

It willbe observed that, in the lustratechthe majority of thelayers of,

boniterminate in the same .-'plane, vor :1 con-5' tinuous surface approaching a plane surface.

Upon this surface is mounted and secured the water tank, as, for example tlie top. water tank 13. Thistank is formed, (seeFigs. 2..and

6) as an open vessel, having imperforate front and back walls 30 and 31, a curved top wall 32 (to accord With desired modes or styles in radiator appearance), and a bottom wall 34 provided with a cut-away portion 35.1301- direct counnunication with the water passages terminating in the continuous top surface of the ribbon layers. The bottom wall 3 is formed with flanged portions 36 and 37 to contact with the continuous margin defined.

by the portions 28 and 29 of the ribbons, so that, when the tank 13 is soldered to the ribbons, the various passages 27 communicate with the tank, and all of the wateris confined.

It will be understood, from, this description, .i:.

that the bottom tank 14: is securedand. constructed in a similar manner, and hence express description of this tank need not be made. I f

In the practice of making a perfectly rectangular tank, or one having straight side walls and plane top and bottom walis, the assembling procedure is comparatively simple. The layers of ribbon, each of equal length, are

laced within an 0 en frame and com ressed P is- 'coreso formed i's thenzsecured to the top and bottom tanks by-applying solder between the 'Z imarginal portions of thearibbons on the end :surfaces of the core,-and pressing the flanged portions 36' and 3.7 of the-tank thereaga-inst. *Vhen the coreis of'an irregular outline, however, difl'erent conditions prevail. -Thus, :as indicated in -Eigs. .1 and 2,.ifthemarginal .layersiof ribbon be of'unequallength,clamp- '2 ing. in. azframe 'is' noteasily eficcted, as the 20.

in a: lateral direct-ion, so that :proper spacing .ican not be maintained. As :the-formation'of i'cores ofairregular outline :is a given condition in the automobile industry whichthe radiator 92 imanufaeture not ;alter, it's-follows .that means-must b provided to-finish off? the core along. the ma'rginal portions, or those *portions wherean irregular contour is pre- ";sented. 4 m. 1 180 Her'etofore, to efiect the necessary. result of stopping off the water-passages which termitnatdqimthe irregular marginal portions, the practice! has been resorted to of building up ithe irregular-nborner-ii'portion1. Wlth'w a @48 ,triangular. 1 blocks 611 9 wedge,-i' so that the -rectaligular outline c ould' fbe approximated. -"lhis bpraetiee? resulted, :to a certain 'stolerv ables: extent, rini the maintaining i of: :the layers of --ribbon:;in proper alignment; r'but ..:;-40.it:;also resulted.inwthe cruShing or distor- =tion of :the ribbon ends adj acent the wedge. Due to the-irregular outline,-the ribbons were not crushed in a single plane, but rather were left with an irregular surface of random con- 45-figuration, to which-no connecting-member of definite outline or size could be secured. Hence it was necessary to zfill in thcisurface with solder, Which, due.to its fluid nature, tended to run down .intothe water passages,

5 and over into others intended to be left open, and, occasionally, not into those which were to be sealed off. This method of finishingoii the core resulted in considerable uncertainty in the quality and efficiency of the product,

1': 65-and also reduced the capacity to an undesirable extent. lhus, it couldnot be determined -.for every case how many passages would be so crushed, or whether they would be. properly sealed, and, because of these deleterious re- .:.60 sultsand the practical lack of methods for in- .spectiomthe radiating characteristics. of a core of given-dimensions were unknown. Similarly, the sealing oii'f of. the marginal water linesreduced the number of available 1 water lines, and the capacity of the'core, for

pressure-tends to forcezthelayers of ribbon given dimensions, iwas' proportionatelydecreased... w

i "In-order to reclaim the los-teapaoity, Land to provide-a .core of known or predetermined E and definite characteristics, the present invention contemplates the provision of shellsi or pocketsawhich embrace or fit over the marginal water lines and'whiehareinr free comununication therewithand Iw-ith the water tanks. As shown in Figs. 2 and 5,"the outer ormar- -ginal layers of ribbon terminate atva'ryi-ng distances from the top of the core 10, and are disposed in stepped relation, soas to present an irregular outline whose contour depends upon the contours of the ribbons and their relative spacing. The dimensions of this outline, when not crushed by theapplication of wedges, are "known. 1T0 this portion of the layersof. assembled. ribbons isju'xtaposed a hollow shell having open sides, desig- -n ated in' Fig. :2 generally by the numeral 40. F'lhis' member. is :formed withfiiriperforate :front and .back :ivalls 4'1 and? 42: (Fig: =4)f and a curved or slopingx imperfor'ate -side wall 43 which is designed to. continue the .slo'petor curvature of the toplwall'32 ofthe-tanli 13. 'The side Wall 43 tcrminatesat its 'upper portion in a fiatfiange etwhich is adapted to be aligned with'theplaneof the ends of theilayers of ribbon abutting the bottom ofthe tank 13, and to whichaflange45', iforimed on the bottom of the ta'nlr,= may be soldered. -The lower vextremity of the side wall43termi'nat'es rinia similar flange 46 which may .be brought ==into contact with' a layer of'ribbon, such as the outer layer of ribb0n:4:7. "i:

-"'- The 'sidei walls? ii-rand 4:2 I extend,' along their upper and lower edges, outwardly to forin-fianges-48. and 49,? which are substan- I *tially of the same .widthasuthe-contacting portions 28and 29 of theiribbons and 21. Viith this construction, the shell 40. may be positioned into mating relation with the ends of the outer layers of ribbon, to engage snugly therewith and to embrace withinthe open bottom of the shell all of thepassages which terminate inthe marginalportion. It will be observed that due to theirregular configuration, the shell-interlocks with the corrugations in the ribbons, so that the layers are restrained. froin endwise movement when compressed together in a frame preparatory to soldering.

In making the core with the inclusion of the shells i0, the layers of ribbon are laid up in the frame,'with the outer layers terminating short of the top of the frame or theends of the inner layers. This operation leaves the open space into which the shell is inserted, to interlock with the marginal layers and with the flanges 48 and 49 contacting with the correspondingflangedportions of the adjacent ribbons." The parts are then clamped or compressed within the 'frame, a

ing or distorting theends of the :niarginal "ribbons, and that the water passages included thereby areinot sealed, but are left open to viewfthrough. the top portion'ofthe shell.

- The assembled frame, shells, and ribbons are then dipped, face downwardly, into asbath of acidto a depth equivalent to the width of the flanged portions, then into a'bath of sol- =der .a corresponding depth, so that the entire assembly of ribbons and shells are cemented .together intoa unitary structure.

The core is theniremoved from the holding frame, and the top'and bottom tanks are 'subsequentl-y secured.- c

Referring again to F .2, will be ob served that with the' complete assembly of tanks, shells, and ribbons, water may communicate through the-marginal passages as indicatedbythe lines of arrows; The shell communicates both with :the' tank andthe passages, which, according to the present invention, are notmerely stopped off, butsare reclaimed for: use. With this. construction and method'of assembly,'the're is no'difiiculty in. inspection, or' uncertainty-as :to capacity, as the passageways are open to observation after the soldering step. It will :be moted .that the shells are built intoIand with the honeycomb structure of the core, and that the maximum capacityzofthecoremay be availed of, whilelstill satisfying the technical requirements; for: cores of designated shape and irregular outline. 5 w It-will beunderstood-tliat throughoutthe foregoing description, reference has been made'to a single'shell built into one corner of the core, but that the same methods may be employed for building in more than one shell, asiindicated in Fig. 1, wherein four irregular portions are delineated. Similarly, it will'be understood that the shell may be employed in other portions ofthe radiator than in the corners thereof. It is desired,

therefore, that the foregoing description shall be takenas illustrative of the principles of the invention as specifically applied in a single instance, and that the scope of the invention shall be determined in accordance with the following claims.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. A radiator comprising a honeycomb structure including a plurality of water passages, a tank in direct communication with certain of said passages, and spaced from others of said passages, said spaced passages presenting an irregular contour, and a hollow shell interposed between said tank and said spaced passages to provide communication between said tank and said spaced passages and formed with marginal portions continuously engaging said'tankon' one side and saidirregular contour onthe-other.

2. .A radiator cbmprising acoreincluding a plurality-of Water passages and having. an irregular outline, portions of the perimeter of said core defining a substantially" uniform edge, a tankhaving a mating uniformedge secured to said portion of the core for direct communication; with the water passages fterminating. therein, a shell formed with. an 7 irregular out-line corresponding to the .out- 'line of the irregular portion of the core and secured to saidcore portion and embracing the water passages opening therein, said shell also being'in communication along. another-- vsurface with said tank.

3. A radiator comprising a corecomposed of a plurality of layers of deforniedmetal contactingalong their marginal portions and spaced therebetween-to form waterpassages and formed-along a portion of the perimeter 'of the core with --an irregular outline and'a shell secured" to said Tirregular' portions :of

said layers Z-for communication: fwit-lr the waterpslss'ages embraced thereby, Esaid shelltco being formed" with outwardly flang d mam-.-

ginal portions adapted :toengagezthe marginal portions of the-contacting layersoo'f deformed metal, said marginal portionsr'of the metal and the flanged portion ofthe shell being continuously secured to each other;

- t. A radiator comprising a core comprising a plurality of layers-of deformed metal contactingalong their marginalsporti0i1s and spaced therebetw'een to form water passages, -I00 the-layers along'th'eiopposit'e sideszof the .core

being of less length than the layers-intermediate the side portions, said outer layers terminating at different distances'from the top of the core to provide an irregular outlinef -lflfi said inner layers terminating substantially in the same upper plane, a top tank disposed above said layers and communicatingalong its lower edges with said inner layers and secured thereto, and corner shells disposed in open communication with the ipassages formed between the outer layers and the top tank, said corner-shells being formed with an irregular edge for contacting continuously with said outer layers, and with an upper edge secured to the bottom of the top-tank to provide free communication from said tank to said outer water passages. r

5. A radiator comprising a core'including a plurality of water passages formedbe'tween sheets of deformed metal contacting along their outer edges, the layers adjacent corners of the core being of less length than the layers therebetween and terminating at varying heights, the intermediate layers terminating in a continuous surface, a tank secured to the layers terminating in the continuous surface and formed with an open side for communication with the passages embraced thereby, corner shells provided with an irregular'surface adapted to mate and interlock with the marginal la ers of the core, said irregular shell surface eing flanged outwardly and secured along the flanged portion to said marginal portions of the adjacent layers, said shells further being formed with an opposed surface mating with and secured to the tank, whereby the marginal water passages are in free communication with the tank.

6. A. radiator comprising a core including a plurality of water passages, certain of said passages terminating in substantially the same plane to define a substantially uniform edge of the core, certain other of said passages terminating short of said plane, a shell secured adjacent the ends of said other of said passages and extending into the plane of termination of said first mentioned passages, said shell being in communication with said other of said passages and being open in said plane, and a water tank having a substantially uniform edge, extending across said shell and said first mentioned passages and opening into said shell and first mentioned passages whereby water may pass between said water tank and all of said passages.

AUGUST F. IHDE. 

